Fashioned warp knitting



Dec. 2, 1930. LEVY 1,783,847

FASHIONED WARP KNITTING Filed June 22, I928 4 sheets-sheet 1 Dec. 2, 1930. P. LEVY- FASHIONED WARP KNITTING Filed June 22, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 P. LEVY Dec. 2,1930.

FASHIONED WARP KNITTING Filed June 22, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 2, 1930. L V 1,783,847

FASHIONED WARP KNITTING Filed June 22, 1928 4 Shets-Sheet '4 a ksgfiggoolqmmrkuml Patented Dec. 2, 1930 Urrao STATES PATENT OFFICE PIERRE LEVY, or NANCY, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE socIE'rE r. a r. LEVY DITE ETABLISSEMENTS J ET 8 LEVY FRENCH COMPANY Application filed June '22, 1928, Serial No.

Those skilled in the art know that warp knitting, per se, is not new; but up tothe present the prior art does not disclose any methods or means for obtaining such fashioned on the warp knitting machine.

In general warp knitting up to the present has been woven in rectangular pieces, which are cut out to the form desired.

My invention contemplates broadly all kinds of fashioned warp knitting, that is, provided along the reduced edges with marginal stitches of such sort that the reduced threads are tied to the adjacent threads and are not woven thereafter, unless they be taken up again for making enlargements.

The said warp knitting may be advantageously obtained by knotting the stitches towards the interior and rendering the needles corresponding to the reduced threads inoperative for diminishing the width of the knitting whereas for making enlargements, the needles previously rendered inoperative are brought back into position in the work.

Preferably, the Warp knitting machine comprises a needle bar whose needles can be individually rendered inoperative by a reducing apparatus, or replaced individually in a working position by an enlarging apparatus.

This process and warp knitting machine provide a means for producing so-called hollow warp knitting, whose characteristics reside in he fact that certain warps of the knitting are'composed of fewer stitches than certain other warps of the knitting by stopping the movement of the needle bar at certain parts and at predetermined moments.

Likewise there may be obtained mechanically and directly lapels, by disposing at the side of the ordinary needle bar, .a second needle bar which works between the stitches formed by the ordinary needle bar.

By way of example, I have represented in the drawing accompanying this specification an embodiment of a Warpknitting machine for carrying my process into practice and manufacturing knitting according to my invention.

In the drawing- IllIlZflItlilS, OF MEURTHE-ET-MOSELLE, FRANCE, A

FASHIONED WARP KNITTING 287,513, and in Germany June so, 1927.

Fig. 1 is a section through a Warp knitting machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the control device particularly for the manufacture of stockings and socks and carries the so-calledspring beard hook needles. It is composed of an ordinary needle bar 1 vertically disposed, a second horizontally disposed auxiliary hook bar 2, a reducing apparatus 3, an enlarging apparatus 4, a stitch forming apparatus 5, a thread throwing apparatus 6 and a take-up apparatus 7. i

The spring beard hook needles of the ordinary needle bar 1 necessitate the use of pressers 17 as known in the art for obtaining a fine gauge.

Each ofsaid needles is provided with a heel' 11 and they have an alternating vertical movement imparted thereto by being driven by one of the bars 12 or 13 controlled by levers 14 and 15. A lever 16 spreads automatically the-bar13 at the time of reducing or enlarging as will hereinafter be described in a manner to allow lowering or raising of one or more of the corresponding needles carried by the bar 1.

The thread is led over the needles by means of stitch forming bars of known type. Said bars have been illustrated on a large scale in Fig. 3, working eithertogether or separately. Thus the bar 52 serves the purpose of making embroidery or designs and the bar 53 serves to make the plain fabric; the bars 54 and 55 serve to guide the reinforcing threads, the first for the heel and the foot. the second for the foot stitching.

All of said bars are displaced transversely in the usual manner in guide slots 56 of an oscillating member 57 about a transverse shaft 51. w I

The bars 54 and are preferably pivoted on shafts 50, which allows rendering the corresponding stitch forming mechanism inoperative by means of levers 58 and 59 actuated by eccentrics.

Variations in width of fabric are obtained by the reducing apparatus or the enlarging apparatus.

The apparatus for reducing illustrated is the Cotton type adapted to my new machine with spring beard hook needles.

The reducing apparatus illustrated comprises an even number of carriages 33, on which are fixed transfer points 31. Said carriages are given two movements, one horizontally and the second perpendicular thereto. For this purpose, the transfer points 31 are carried by the carriages 33 mounted on guides 34 which through the medium of levers 35 can be displaced horizontally. Furthermore, for obtaining sliding on the guides 34, each carriage 33 is rigid with a rod 32, which as Y shown in Fig. 2 can be advantageously con-' trolled by a screw device 36.

For obtaining symmetrical reduction on both sides of the fabric, the carriages 33 are disposed in even numbers and the screw device is composed of two screws 36 controlled rigidly with respect to each other by an idling clutch 37. The carriages 33 are therefore displaced the same amount but in opposite directions.

Normally the apparatus occupies the position in Fig. 1. When it is desired to reduce, the carriages 33 are brought in place, that is, opposite the edges of the fabric. At the precise moment when transfer must take place, the transferring apparatus is brought nearer the needle bar 1. In the case of machines with spring beard hook needles, the presser 17 and the'comb 18 is disengaged from the needle bar 1, then the transferring apparatus is lowered, the transfer points are plunged into the needle bar for hooking the stitches on the respective needles, then they are drawn away and the series of transfer points and the needle bar are lowered to permit the transfer points to be displaced, for example, a distance of two needles, the transfer points are brought back against the needles in position, the vertical needle bar is raised again, the transfer points leave the stitches which are received by the needles and the transferring device completely disengages from the needle bar. The lowering of the needle is obtained by means of a push piece 41 which hooks over the heel of the needle and which is controlled by the screw 42 and the rods 43. Under these conditions, the carriage 33 is given a movement parallel to the needle bar 1 which is a multiple of the space included between two successive needles. The carriage 33 is raised again and are needles which are active receive the stitches carried by the transfer points corresponding thereto. Thus there are as many stitches withdrawn as there are transfer points on the carriage 33 and it is the needle which receives the stitches carried by the transfer points which is the outermost and which thus has two stitches. During the following knitting operation it stitches these two stitches together.

The thread throwing apparatus is very much analogous to the transferring device and comprises like said device one or more transfer points 61, is carried by a drum 63, mounted on levers 66 oscillating on a shaft 36. Aside from these features it presents nothing material.

The enlarging apparatus is constituted simply by the push piece 41, which raises the heel 11 of a needle of the needle bar 1 at the desired moment. The displacement of said push piece parallel to the needle bar 1 has already been explained in connection with the transferring apparatus.

The take-up apparatus is composed of a drum 74 actuated by the general controlof the machine. The take-up is facilitated by employing combs 18, as is known in the art. The fabric knitted passes on to a drum 71 acting as an idler and whose position is adapted to be adjusted. A supplemental take-up may likewise be obtained by means of claws 80.

The machine illustrated is also provided with a second horizontal hook bar 2, provided with needles similar to those of needle bar 1. The hook bar 2 is mounted in a guide way 21, which permits it to be displaced horizontally. Any sort of device is utilized for giving the hook bar 2 a transverse movement.-

The hooks 2 have the particular feature that they carry lugs 23 as shown in Fig. 6 and a member 22 serves the purpose of depressing the stitches of hook bar 2.

Having described the principal elements of my loom its operation will now be described in connection with the manufacture of a stocking.

The operation is commenced by making the hem. For this purpose the threads are thrown on the needle bar 1 and the hook bar 2 is introduced between the needles upon bar 1, hooking over the threads behind the first two rows between needles upon bar 1. It replaces the claws placed on the ordinary knitter of gathered fabric for catching interstitching. As a result of the slow progressive displacement of hook bar 2 as fast as the knitting takes place by needle bar 1. as shown in Fig. 1. the knitted part is thus constantly stretched. When all the hem has been knitted, it is folded over by a wooden ring, for example, for retaining the tensionand the hook bar 2 is brought back between the needles of needle bar 1. bar 1 is lowered completely, the horizontal The vertical needle hook bar 2 advances into the intervals of needle bar 1, the take-up brings the stitches against the abutments 23 of the needles. The vertical needle bar 1 is raised anew, passes in the opened stitches as a result of lug 23 and is raised again into its working position. The horizontal hook bar 2 is displaced a half division and withdraws leaving the fabric. The hem is thus formed.

Once the hems are finished, closed knitting is accomplished making, at the desired moinent, enlargements, hollow reduced portions such as heels, ribs if necessary and reinforcm s.

lhe contexture of the fabric will nowbe described with reference to Fig. 5.

In the fabric united as in rows 1 to 4, each thread is tied alternatively with its neighbor to the right and its neighbor to the left as is well known in the art. I

For obtaining this result, the stitch form.- ing bars receive a transverse alternative movement parallel to the needle bar in such wise that a thread passes successively above two adjacent needles and simultaneously a movement of oscillation of the Whole of member 57 about-its axis of such sort that only the stitclr forming bar 53 passes alternatively from one side of needle bar 1 to the other.

Thread b is thrown for the two rows 6 and 8. The thread 5 is, in rows 6 and 8 carried by the needle 0 instead of needle 6. The thread ccannot therefore become tied with the thread 6 of rows 5 and 7 and there is there- V fore obtained double openwork.

For obtaining this result the thread throwing apparatus is led to the needle 6" where it takes the thread 6 and carries it over by a transverse movement through the interval from needle to needle to the needle 0'.

Thread 0 is reduced in row 6 and thread 01. in row .10. For this purpose the thread 0 is drawn aside at the sixth row on needle 1, while the threads m and n are respectively drawn aside at this particular moment on needles j and 7c. The needles j, in, Z, thus each receive two stitches. In particular the thread 0 is knotted with the thread Z, the needle is then put out of service by the transfer points 31 and the thread 0 is no longer worked b this needle and therefore remains unknitte The same operation is repeated for the thread n after the 9th row. The floating threads such as o and n are carried uncut until the fabric is finished and then these threads are cut.

For obtaining this result, in the case of thread 0 for example, the reducing apparatus 3 is brought near the needle bar 1 by the movement of member 35, in such wise that the transfer points 31, after having been brought opposite the needle n by the control screw 36, takes the stitch situated on this needle, while the push piece 41 hooks over the heel 11 of the needle and carries it toward the bottom due to the spreading of bar 13 by the, lever 16. During thissoperation the presser 17 and the comb 18 are not separated from the needle. After this operation, under the action of the control screw, the carriage 33 and hence the transfer points 31 are displaced a distance of two needles, in such wise that the transfer points 31 arrive before the needle 'bar 1, which takes the stitch and the knot-at the same time as the corresponding thread. It will be noticed that in the case of Fig. 5 the carriage 33 must carry three transfer points 31 each of which carries aside a stitch.

The threads 6, f and g are open knitted between the rows 12 and 18. For this purpose the bars 12 and 13 are stopped which bars control the needles 6, f and g forrows 12 and 13 and then for the rows 16 and 17 whereas the other needles work normally, the threads e, f and 9 cannot knot and when they leave the fabric is formed open.

For enlarging, the course of thread n in row 15 and thread 0 in row 19 is illustrated. At the, desired moment in the first case, the

- needle m is placed back in working position,

the thread 11. becomes knotted again and the fabric is enlarged a stitch. The same takes place with thread 0 in row 19.

For obtaining this result, in the case of thread n, the push piece 41 is led, by means of the screw device 42, above the needle m and at the desired moment the push piece 41 raises and carries the needle by its heel 11 while the lever 16 spreads the bar 13.

For making reinforcements the amplitude of oscillation of the member 57 is increased in such fashion that one or the other of the stitch formers 54 and 55 can throw its thread on the needle.

In making embroidery the member 57 is given an amplitudesuflicient for the stitch former 52 to throw its thread on the needle.

Likewise with my improved machine there may also be made ribbed hems, chiefly in making socks. To this end the needle bars 1 and 2 work together, but in non-parallel planes, in such wise that the needlebar 2 works between the stitches of the needle bar 1. The fabric is thus worked on both sides and ribs are formed which are the same on both sides and reversible. This device allows ribbed hems to be established and the transverse variation of needle bar 2 allows bringing the stitch forward on the needles of needlebar 1 as for the facing.

My improved machine allows new articles of knitted wear to be obtained and its advantages may be summarized as follows:

First. Fashioned articles are produced directly on the same machine and almost without stopping.

Thus, for example I may realize stockings and socks of this fabric on a single machine almost without stopping. In fact with my not improved machine hereinbefore described I can make the facing or ribbed hems of stockings with the needlebars 1 and hook bars 2. I can fashion the leg, then form the heel by stopping a group of needles for forming turning warp stitches, (heel formation) an finally reduce for making the foot. At the desired moments, it is possible to reinforce the article by causing the stitch forming mechanism 54 of the heel and 55 of the foot tip to operate by means of levers 58 and 59 controlled by eccentrics.

Second. Due to the principles of the different devices for weaving hems, ribbed facings, reducing, enlarging, heels and the like applied to my machine producing warp knitting, these fashioned fabrics are made much more rapidly than the same fashioned objects obtained on gathering knitting machines suchas the Cotton loom for example.

Third. Coupling of threads is' theoretically impossible in case'of rupture of one or more threads of this stitch.

Fourth. It is possible. to make a large variet of designs as well as open work in the fa ric.

Fifth. It will be noted that my improved machine may be equally used with all types of needles such as self actin hook needles.

While .I have described w at I deem to be the preferable form of my invention I do not-wish to be limited thereto as there might be various changes made in the arrangement of parts and their construction without departing from the spirit thereof as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims. Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. Method of producing a fashioned warp knitted fabric consisting, at the moment of transfer, of taking the thread to be trans-- ferred from the needle on which it is found, carrying said thread to the interior of the knitted fabric on an active needle, knitting this thread together with the thread found normally on said latter needle, carrying said transfer thread to the exterior and throwing the first needle out of operation.

2. Methd of producing a fashioned warp knitted fabric consisting, at the moment of transfer, of taking the thread to be transferred from the needle on which it is found,

carrying said thread-to the interior of the knitted fabric on an active needle, knitting this thread together with the thread found normally on said latter needle, carrying said transfer thread to the exterior and throwing the first needle out of operation, and at the moment of increase, to place a needle in the operative position and to again take up with said needle the corresponding thread and knit it in the usual manner.

3. Warp knitting machine comprising a set formed of needles placed side by side, a heel upon each needle, a pair of control bars normally enclosing the heels of said needles, means to impart alternative movement to said bars and means to remove the lower control bar from its operative position substantially perpendicular to the plane of said set of needles.

4. Warp knitting machine comprising a set formed of several groups of needles placed side by side, a heel on each needle a pair of control bars for each group of needles normally enclosing the heels of said needles and means to impart alternative movement individually to each pair of bars.

5. Warp knitting machine comprising a set formed of several groups of needles placed side by side, a heel on each needle, a pair of control bars for each group of needles normally enclosing the heels of said needles and means to impart alternative movement individually to each pair of bars, and means to remove the lower control bar from its operative or drive position substantially perpendicular to the plane of said set of needles.

6. Warp knitting machine comprising a set formed of needles placed side by side, a heel on each needle, a pair of control bars normally enclosing the heels of said needles,

means for imparting alternate movement to said bars, means to remove the lower control bar from its operative position substantially perpendicular to the plane of said set needles, and a transferring mechanism, this latter comprising transfer points, means to carry the transfer points on the needles, means to move said transfer points perpendicularly to the set of needles and to receive the loops or stitches carried by said needles, means to carry the transfer points and the needles from above downwardly and to remove the lower control bar of said needles from its operative position, means to move said transfer points parallel with the set of needles and bring them with the loops which they carry in front of the operative needles, and means to carry the transfer points into the vicinity of the needles and to cause the latter to take up the stiches carried by said transfer points.

7. Warp knitting machine comprising a set formed of needles placed side by side, a heel on each needle, two parallel bars normally enclosing the heels of said needles, means to impart alternative movements to said bars, means to remove the lower control bar from its operative position substantially perpendicular to the plane of said set, a pusher bar placed below the control bars and means to bring said pusher bar under the needle again to be operated, and means to raise said pusher bar with said needle.

8. Warp knitting machine comprising a set formed of needles placed side by side, a heel on each needle, two parallel bars normally enclosing the heels of said needles,

means to impart alternative movements to said bars, means to remove the lower control bar from its operative position substantially perpendicular to the plane of said set, a second set of needles positioned at an angle with relation to the first set and means to move said second set transversely with respect to the first.

9. Warp knittin machine comprising a set formed of need es placed side by side, a heel on each needle, two parallel bars normally enclosing the heels of said needles, means to impart alternative movements to said bars, means to remove the lower control bar from its operative osition substantially perpendicular to the p ane of said set, a second set of needles positioned at an angle with relation to the first set and means to move said second set transversely with respect to the first, and a projection on each needle of the second set.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PIERRE LEVY. 

